Sojourners - freedom of speechhttp://sojo.net/taxonomy/term/4774/0
enPope Francis on Free Speech: ‘You Cannot Insult the Faith of Others’http://sojo.net/blogs/2015/01/15/pope-francis-free-speech-you-cannot-insult-faith-others
<p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pope Francis on Jan. 15 condemned last week’s terrorist attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo but warned there were limits on freedom of expression.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Speaking to journalists as he flew from Sri Lanka to the Philippines on a weeklong visit to Asia, the pope said freedom of expression was a “fundamental human right” and stressed that killing in the name of God was an unacceptable “aberration.”</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“You don’t kill in God’s name,” Francis said.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">However the pope, who has made a point of reaching out to Muslims, Jews, and other faiths, said there were limits to self-expression when it involved insulting or ridiculing people’s faith.</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“You cannot provoke, you cannot insult the faith of others,” he said. “You cannot make fun of the faith of others.”</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2015/01/15/pope-francis-free-speech-you-cannot-insult-faith-others" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Charlie Hebdofreedom of speechGod's Politicsimamspope francisRacial and Social JusticeFaith and PoliticsThu, 15 Jan 2015 19:41:07 +0000Josephine McKenna64891 at http://sojo.netJe Suis … [?] How People of Faith Should Respond to Parishttp://sojo.net/blogs/2015/01/15/je-suis-how-people-faith-should-respond-paris
<p>Our first response to the horrible and frightening violence of Paris should be grief. False religion always makes the religious grieve, but when it engages in ghastly violence against other human beings who are made in God’s image, it should break our hearts as it breaks God’s.</p><p>These hateful terrorists, masquerading as religious believers, said on video they were the “avengers” of the prophet Mohamed. As such, they murdered cartoonists in the office of a magazine they identified with blasphemy. What these killers, and those like them, don’t understand is that <em>they are the real blasphemers now</em> by forcing their false and murderous distortions of Islam on the world and on other children of God. Their religion is now violence itself, a blasphemous interpretation of Islam, which in its truest expression is a religion of peace. Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, from the Reformed Church in America, has called Paris an “identity theft” of the Muslim faith. Several Muslim leaders have said that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/charlie-hebdo-muslims-blasphemy_n_6433104.html" target="_blank"> the damage terrorists like these do to the image of the Prophet Mohammed is much greater than any cartoonist could ever do</a>.</p><p>While the tenet of freedom of speech has been invoked throughout the media coverage of the attacks, the religious implications here run much deeper. They are about how we in the faith community should respond when we are attacked by those who disdain us, disrespect us, distort us — as many believe the satirical French magazine, Charlie Hebdo<em> </em>regularly did — and even viciously attack us. The magazine has often crudely, provocatively, and even gleefully satirized all religions in very offensive ways, suggesting that the fundamentalisms in all our religious traditions completely <em>define</em> the meaning of faith. Charlie Hebdo<em> </em>is apparently driven by its own ideology of <em>secular fundamentalism, </em>which regularly strikes out at all people of faith.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2015/01/15/je-suis-how-people-faith-should-respond-paris" target="_blank">read more</a></p>ahmed marabetCharlie HebdoDiversityfreedom of speechGod's Politicsje suis ahmedje suis charlieParisparis shootingRacial and Social Justicereligious extremismTerrorismLife and PeacePeace and NonviolenceThu, 15 Jan 2015 14:39:25 +0000Jim Wallis64866 at http://sojo.net'Duck Dynasty' and the Idolatry of Freedomhttp://sojo.net/blogs/2013/12/24/duck-dynasty-and-idolatry-freedom
<p>I know. We’re all a little fatigued about the <em>Duck Dynasty</em> and freedom of speech controversy. As many have pointed out, everyone has been free during this controversy. Phil Robertson was free to make his statement to <em>GQ. GQ</em> was free to publish it. A&amp;E was free to suspend Robertson for making comments that it thought hurt its image. And, despite that justification, A&amp;E is free to air <a href="http://houston.cbslocal.com/2013/12/19/duck-dynasty-marathons-still-on-aes-schedule-leading-up-to-christmas/"><em>Duck Dynasty</em> marathons</a> on Dec. 24 and 25. (Yes, on Christmas Day you can watch 12 1/2 hours of Duck Dynasty. A&amp;E is taking this controversy straight to the bank!) We are free to watch, or to not watch, future episodes of <em>Duck Dynasty</em>. We are all free to take sides. And bloggers are <em>freely </em>adding to our Duck Dynasty fatigue by writing endless blog posts.</p><p>This blogger asks for your forgiveness in writing yet another post that adds to our fatigue. So I’ll keep this brief.</p><p>There is something about freedom that we are missing in this debate, especially from a Christian point of view. When it comes to freedom, we want to fight for the freedom to do or say whatever we want. This is the highest point of freedom in the United States. It’s a freedom that is based on freedom for individual rights. It’s a freedom that says that I should have the right to say whatever I want without any negative consequences.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/12/24/duck-dynasty-and-idolatry-freedom" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Duck Dynastyfreedom of speechGod's PoliticsIdolatryMichael HardinPaulPhil RobertsonRacial and Social JusticeWolfgang PalaverCulture WatchFaith and PoliticsTue, 24 Dec 2013 14:36:59 +0000Adam Ericksen52070 at http://sojo.net"Only Fools Rush In ..."http://sojo.net/magazine/2013/07/only-fools-rush
<p>Elvis impersonators make lousy terrorists.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/magazine/2013/07/only-fools-rush" target="_blank">read more</a></p>anthraxColumnsElvisFacebookfreedom of speechGunsricinsecond amendmentsenateCultureLife and PeaceH'rumphsWed, 05 Jun 2013 20:30:14 +0000Ed Spivey Jr.48877 at http://sojo.netSupreme Court to Hear Case on Prayer at Government Meetingshttp://sojo.net/blogs/2013/05/21/supreme-court-hear-case-prayer-government-meetings
<p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether prayers can be offered at government meetings — a practice that’s been common in Congress and throughout the states for more than two centuries.</p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The religious expression case, which comes to the court from the town of Greece, N.Y., focuses on the first 10 words of the First Amendment, ratified in 1791: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”</p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That Establishment Clause was violated, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year, when the Greece Town Board repeatedly used Christian clergy to conduct prayers at the start of its public meetings. The decision created a rift with other appeals courts that have upheld prayer at public meetings, prompting the justices to step in.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/05/21/supreme-court-hear-case-prayer-government-meetings" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Americans United for Separation of Church and StateBarry LynnChurch and StateEstablishment ClauseFamily Research Councilfreedom of speechGod's PoliticsRacial and Social JusticeReligion and Politicsseparation of church and stateSupreme CourtFaith and PoliticsTue, 21 May 2013 13:10:40 +0000Richard Wolf48571 at http://sojo.netNorth Carolina Minorities Remain Worried After Religion Bill is Pulledhttp://sojo.net/blogs/2013/04/09/north-carolina-minorities-remain-worried-after-religion-bill-pulled
<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12px;">WILMINGTON, N.C. — A resolution to allow North Carolina to defy the Constitution and establish a state-sanctioned religion may be dead in the state capitol, but minority faiths say there’s more than enough reason to remain nervous.</span></p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Some worry about the implications the bill has for North Carolina, a majority Protestant state with growing Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist populations.</p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Manzoor Cheema, a Raleigh resident and board member of the Triangle Interfaith Alliance, said he believes the resolution should be a wake-up call.</p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“I think this is a very disturbing development; very bad for our state. In my opinion, as a Muslim, a minority community member and immigrant from Pakistan, I believe that separation of church and state is fundamental and grants us many freedoms,” he said.</p><p style="font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“But it’s a blessing in disguise to mobilize the interfaith community in North Carolina.”</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2013/04/09/north-carolina-minorities-remain-worried-after-religion-bill-pulled" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Buddhistfreedom of speechGod's PoliticsHinduMuslimNorth CarolinaPoliticsPrayerreligionsFaith and SpiritualityLife and PeaceTue, 09 Apr 2013 20:03:30 +0000Amanda Greene47766 at http://sojo.netCitizens United, Freedom of Speech, and the Liberation of Listeninghttp://sojo.net/blogs/2012/08/21/citizens-united-freedom-speech-and-liberation-listening
<p class="p1">The impact of<i> Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission</i> (2010) is experienced with increased intensity as we approach Election Day. Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions have a First Amendment right to independent political expenditures, certain portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act were reversed.</p><p class="p1">As a result, the voices surrounding political campaigns have risen in strength and size. And so, while a variety of viewpoints exist on the consequences of <i>Citizens United</i>, most agree that it has dramatically altered the culture of U.S. politics, and has thus sparked major discussion on the reach and limits of freedom of speech.&nbsp;</p><p class="p1">Due to the ramifications of <i>Citizens United</i>, we should indeed recognize and critique the role that freedom of speech holds within a mature democracy. However, as we focus on free speech, the time has come to also consider the contributions of its equally important companion, the <i>responsibility to listen</i>. In other words, as we ponder the primary ingredients of a healthy society, the delicate balance between freedom of speech and the responsibility to listen should be held as a critical priority.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/08/21/citizens-united-freedom-speech-and-liberation-listening" target="_blank">read more</a></p>citizens unitedcommunicationempathyfreedom of speechGod's PoliticsListeningPACsPreachingRacial and Social JusticeFaith and PoliticsTue, 21 Aug 2012 14:14:17 +0000Brian E. Konkol40795 at http://sojo.netPunk Protesters Sentenced to Two Years in Russian Jailhttp://sojo.net/blogs/2012/08/20/punk-protesters-sentenced-two-years-russian-jail
<p>Perhaps I’ve missed something about Russian law, but it seems to me that it’s a conveniently trumped up charge to keep the women sequestered until (hopefully for the Putin Administration, at least) the attention blows over and the perpetually-distracted news cycle moves on. In short, I can’t imagine, at least from my cultural context, that such a sentence could be justified as anything less than government bullying.</p><p>As for the location of their “Punk Prayer” at the altar of a Russian Orthodox church, this state church has been in the pocket of the government for quite a long time, it turns out. In reading up a little more, the choice of such a church for their protest seems less shocking and more concertedly poignant, given the church’s complicity in promoting the agenda of the Powers that Be. Rather than standing up in the face of authority as an advocate for the poor and oppressed (arguably one of the principal responsibilities of a church), they have joined in the subjugation of human rights in Russia.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/08/20/punk-protesters-sentenced-two-years-russian-jail" target="_blank">read more</a></p>bandfreedom of speechGod's PoliticshooliganismProtestpussy riotRacial and Social JusticeRussiaRussian Orthodox Churchvladmir putinMon, 20 Aug 2012 13:22:06 +0000Christian Piatt40769 at http://sojo.netChristians Do Not Have Freedom of Speechhttp://sojo.net/blogs/2012/07/11/christians-do-not-have-freedom-speech
<p class="p1">One of the things that make America so great is the ability to express yourself, much to the joy, and even pain, of those around you. The freedom of speech is a two-edged sword and more often than not the one who wields it doesn’t fully grasp the power behind it.</p><p class="p1">Sadly there is no better example of poor usage of this freedom than when directed at the political arena. While late night talk show hosts have always taken shots at the President; now with social media outlets everyone has their two-cents to share … truth is most people would do well to learn the value of biting their tongue.</p><p class="p1">While I find great joy in the liberty found within the Freedom of Speech, I’ve come to realize that while it’s an American right it’s also much bigger than that … it’s a human right.</p><p class="p1">However, it’s not a Christian’s right.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/07/11/christians-do-not-have-freedom-speech" target="_blank">read more</a></p>bridle tongueChristiansfreedom of speechGod's PoliticsRacial and Social JusticespeechFaith and PoliticsWed, 11 Jul 2012 14:55:19 +0000Jason Hess, CJ39900 at http://sojo.netNY Judge Orders Twitter to Release Tweets of #OWS Protesterhttp://sojo.net/blogs/2012/07/05/ny-judge-orders-twitter-release-tweets-ows-protester
<p>A judge in New York has ordered Twitter to release three month's worth of tweets from an Occupy Wall Street protester charged with disorderly conduct during a march across the Brooklyn Bridge last year.</p><p><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/twitter_ordered_to_release_twe.html"><strong><em>The Star-Ledger</em> of Newark, N.J., reports:</strong></a></p><p><i>Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Matthew A. Sciarrino Jr. rebuffed one of Twitter Inc.'s central arguments, which concerned who has rights to contest law enforcement demands for content posted on its site. But the judge said the company was right on a separate point that could require prosecutors to take further steps if they want to see one particular day of Malcolm Harris' tweets and his user information....</i></p><p><i>The case began as one of hundreds of disorderly conduct prosecutions stemming from an Oct. 1 Occupy march on the Brooklyn Bridge, but it has evolved into a closely watched legal tussle over law enforcement agencies' access to material posted on social networks.</i></p><p><i>The Manhattan district attorney's office said Harris' messages could show whether he was aware of police orders he's charged with disregarding. Twitter, meanwhile, said the case could put it in the unwanted position of having to take on legal fights that users could otherwise conduct on their own....</i></p><p><em>[Harris] challenged the subpoena for his tweets, saying prosecutors' bid for user information, alongside the messages, breached privacy and free-association rights. The data could give prosecutors a picture of his followers, their interactions through replies and retweets, and his location at various points, [his lawyer, Martin] Stolar said.</em></p><p>Read the report in its entirety <a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/twitter_ordered_to_release_twe.html">HERE</a>.</p><p><a href="http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/07/05/ny-judge-orders-twitter-release-tweets-ows-protester" target="_blank">read more</a></p>disorderly conductfreedom of speechoccupy wall streetprotesterRacial and Social JusticetwitterEconomic JusticeQuick ReadThu, 05 Jul 2012 14:22:22 +0000QR Blog Editor39765 at http://sojo.net